Author: byocks

I'm a visual artist with a passion for adventure stories, technology, and cocktails. When I'm not at my day job, I'm mixing drinks and working in my home art studio.

East India Cocktail

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Today’s cocktail is one that I’ve been sitting on for quite a while, but have still wanted to make. The “East India” is mildly fruity and mildly bitter. I’m always impress at pineapple centered drinks as well as the froth up in a similar way that cream or milk does in desert style drinks. While the drink calls for Brandy, my bar isn’t stalked with the standard, but instead I have both apricot and blackberry brandies. Given the pineapple flavor I chose my apricot as I imagined it to be the best possible complement. Although given the name of the drink I’m surprised I wasn’t using my Bombay Dry Gin (maybe next time). I also think that Orange Bitters might have been a better choice here.

The drink starts sweet with a light bitter in there as well, but as it reaches the back of your tongue and throat you get more of the alcohol. While I’m not certain that the flavors present were due more to the original recipe or my use of Apricot Brandy, the unique complexity of this drink has certainly made me want to try it again. I also feel like the lemon twist could have been more dominant if there was a dash of lemon juice in the mix as well, but then again I don’t think this drink even needs a sour element.

Alcohol Rating: 3-4 of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 (with possible variations)
Worth Making Again? Yes

East India

1 1/2 oz Brandy (Apricot Brandy Used)
3/4 oz Cointreau (Triple Sec Used)
2-3 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
2 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake and Strain. Garnish with a lemon twist

east india cocktail
Still not sure where the “India” is in this drink…

The Fitzgerald

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Today’s cocktail “The Fitzgerald” is a great Gin drink that doesn’t limit the spirit to the summer months. While many Gin drinks are refreshing for a late summer’s afternoon, this one’s use of bitters makes it much more mellow. Despite the abundance of lemon juice, I wouldn’t categorize this as a sour drink. Instead look at this as a highlighter to your bitters, as the flavor comes through from the aromatics. While I made this drink with Angostura Bitters, I believe it’s worth trying with a variety of other flavors (orange specifically is what came to mind).

Fitzgerald Cocktail

½ oz Simple Syrup
1 ½ oz Gin
1 ½ oz Lemon Juice
3 Dashes of Bitters (Aromatic)

Shake with ice strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Fitzgerald Cocktail
Sweet and Bitter at it’s best!

Dog Sled

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Ever wanted a Whiskey sour that tasted a little sweeter? Well that’s the “Dog Sled” in a nutshell.

It’s good… but it’s a little too simple for my tastes, and the presentation leaves something to be desired.

Dog Sled

1 1/2 oz Canadian Club Whiskey
2 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine

Shake and strain into a chilled tumbler glass.

Dog Sled Cocktial
~Arf Arf Woof

Dream of Love

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Need a sweet drink for your special someone this Valentine’s Day? Why not make her (or him) a Dream of Love. Sweet, not too dry, tropical, and smooth.

See how it’s made on the new episode of the show: http://youtu.be/sofbVGDHiNg

Dream of Love

1 oz Coconut Rum
1 oz Peach Schnapps
Splash of Blue Curacao
Splash of Lemon Juice
3 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

So good you'll think you're dreaming!
So good you’ll think you’re dreaming!

Double Agent Cocktail

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This week I bring you a drink that tastes just like Code Red Mountain Dew. Seriously, that’s what it tastes like. Not that I’m complaining though.

Double Agent
1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Rose’s Grenadine Syrup
1/2 oz Rose’s Lime Juice
Top with Sprite/7-Up

Straight build ingredients in an iced tumbler.

Double Agent Cocktail
~ The name’s Skyy, Skyy Vodka

Also be sure to stay tuned for this months special Valentine’s Day episode of the show coming this Wednesday (yeah it’s a week late, but I wanted it to line up with the holiday better). For that episode I’ll be making a drink called the Dream of Love, with a post to follow.

Kool Aid (Late)

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So this week I’m late by a day again, but here to bring you a very interesting mix. The Kool Aid is nothing like the name suggests. It’s not very attractive nor very tasty. While it is a decent drink, I was confused on how exactly to place the taste. The flavors don’t really meld together that well, and your left tasting each of them a little at a time. This is one of those drinks like the “watermelon” that I certainly wouldn’t serve first. Try it if you’re looking for something different, but it’s not something I can recommend very much. There are two versions of this drink found in my recipe book. The first is without the “optional” ingredients. The second is with both of them. Maybe this recipe just needs tweaking a bit. My guess is to ditch the amaretto as it’s the strangest ingredient of the set.

Kool Aid

1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Midori
1/2 oz Amaretto
2 oz Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz Southern Comfort (Optional)
Splash of Grenadine (Optional)

Straight build in an iced tumbler.

OH YEAH!
OH YEAH!

Cayman Cocktail

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Well with most of the country in a deep freeze I find myself looking for something a little more tropical. Here’s a drink that will warm you up inside (although most drinks will), to stave off the chill that lingers just out the front door.

Cayman Cocktail

1 1/2 oz Vodka
1 1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Grenadine

Shake all with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Splash with Sprite or 7UP.

The Cayman
Topical and Tropical

Canadian Cocktail

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Today’s cocktail of the week is a mellow classic that tastes great shaken and poured in a cocktail glass, or straight built in a rocks glass with ice.

Canadian (Canada)
1 1/2 oz Canadian Whiskey
1/2 oz Triple Sec
2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 oz sweet ‘n’ sour

Shake and Strain Into a Cocktail Glass OR Straight Build in an ice filled tumbler.

canada cocktial
~Tasty, Eh?

Debutante

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What another drink this week!? Yep here comes another recipe so good I couldn’t let it wait until next week. Taste wise the drink reminds me of a “Jade” (recipe on the menu page). You don’t really taste the peach here, but you get a nice sweet/sour taste with a little mint afterward. This is a great use of Tequila, and I’m really happy that it’s the first Tequila drink here at MoM.

Debutante

1/2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz White Creme de Menthe (Peppermint Schnapps used)
1 1/2 oz Sweet ‘n’ Sour

Shake and Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Optional Garnish with a Lemon Twist

debuante tequila cocktail
~ Tequila? I barely now ‘a

’57 T-Bird with Arizona Plates

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57 tbird arizona
~ A trip through the dusty desert.

I’m not even going to talk about how good this drink is. Make it for yourself and don’t ask questions.

’57 T-Bird with Arizona Plates

1/2 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Amaretto
1/2 oz. Midori
1/2 oz. Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
1/2 oz. Grenadine
1 oz. Orange Juice
1 oz. Cranberry Juice

Straight build in a rocks/bucket glass.